WE STOOD SCRATCHING our heads, thinking that this was not going to work. How on earth were we going to stuff a mountain of boxes into this hatchback? Honda had set an exercise for us to showcase the phenomenally spacious and flexible interiors of the Jazz and to have a bit of fun as well. The amount of luggage was fit for an estate car but the Jazz’s ‘magic’ rear seats which lift, spilt and fold completely flat lived up to their name by conjuring space where
you thought there was none.
SPACE shuttle
The brilliance of the Jazz lies in its unbelievable space efficiency. It also demonstrates Honda’s engineering expertise and lateral thinking in putting to good use every millimetre of the car. The key to the brilliant packaging is the cab-forward design and centrally-mounted fuel tank which liberates space under the rear seats (where most fuel tanks usually sit). So even though this car’s wheelbase, at 2500mm, is shorter than other big hatchbacks like the Hyundai i20, the car has acres more space.
Entry into the massive cabin is made easy by large doors which open wide. Outside visibility is superb, thanks to the generous glass area (especially the large, front quarter-windows) and slim A-pillars. The front seats have a tall seating position and are pretty broad with generous bolstering but there’s no height adjust which compromises ultimate comfort.
In the rear, the seat squab is a touch short, so under-thigh support is not as good as we would have liked. Other than that, it’s hard to fault the back seat. The high ‘H-point’ adjustable back rest, terrific head- and legroom plus generous width make the Jazz’s bench the comfiest we have seen in any hatchback by far. The rear seat is wide enough for three persons and the absence of an armrest makes life better for the middle passenger. The flexible manner in which the rear seats function is also outstanding. Well-engineered latches and levers allow you to flip up or collapse the seats neatly into the floor, with just one hand.
The tricks don’t end with the seats. You can spend the whole day discovering ingenious storage areas Honda has carved out of the Jazz. There are two medium-sized gloveboxes with a shelf in between, some storage space under the central console and between the seats, a secret box under the rear seats as well and 10 cupholders. Yes, ten! One in each door — four, one each at each end of the dashboard in front of the air-con vents (to keep your drinks cool), two ahead of the gear lever, and a pair between the front seats. Honda hasn’t spared the boot area either. There’s a small shelf tucked into the side. The boot area is massive too – 366 litres which can take a couple of large suitcases without the need to fold the seats. The large boot has made conspicuous the absence of a rear parcel shelf — a shocking omission for such a pricey hatch. Come on Honda, even the Maruti A-star has one!
Thankfully, such blatant cost-cutting isn’t carried over to the passenger area. While the Jazz shares a lot of its mechanical components with the City, there is very little on the inside to suggest this. The steering wheels, dials and gear knob are the only bits that are shared but otherwise the Jazz’s cabin has a completely different vibe to it. In fact, interior quality feels a notch above the more expensive City. The Jazz’s plastics and fabrics have a richer feel and even the doors shut with a more solid thud than the City’s.
The dashboard design and functionality is very different from the norm. The chunky air-con knobs have a solid feel and function superbly, except for the low-rent fresh air/re-circ slider. Honda has packaged all the essentials into the top of the central console, freeing up storage space below. The Jazz gets a CD player unlike the City’s music system which runs off a memory stick or iPod. Steering audio controls, real-time fuel consumption, airbags and ABS are also standard. There are no alloys but the dull silver wheel caps on steel wheels look quite good.
JAZZ HAS PIZZAZZ
There was a time when all Hondas looked boring. Designed to be inoffensive to the majority of the world’s population, a Honda’s safe lines and bland details made it dull to look at. Today, however, things are very different. The Civic and City have path-breaking designs and the Jazz, despite its MPV-like proportions, looks terrific too.
The edgy styling gives the Jazz a futuristic look that modern Hondas are known for. The stubby, pointed nose with large triangular headlights is particularly stunning. The power bulge on the bonnet catches the light perfectly and the car has been given a strong chin too, which goes well with its tipped-forward stance. Honda designers have used a bulging rear wheel arch with strong cut lines to break up the mass of the side of the car and at the rear a wide, flush-mounted windscreen makes the car look unique too.
SMALL BUT POTENT
The Jazz comes with a wide range of engines for international markets but for India there is only one engine option — a 1198cc petrol motor developing an impressive 89bhp. Cars with engines below 1.2 litres get huge savings in excise duty and this is the main reason why the Jazz and most other hatchbacks come with engines under this limit.
However, all 1.2-litre engines are not the same, especially if it’s a Honda. While Maruti and Hyundai offer double overhead camshafts on their 1.2 engines for greater performance and control, Honda fights back with a single camshaft but with a new version of its patented variable valve timing system (i-VTEC). One of the jobs of the i-VTEC system is to improve the flexibility and efficiency of the engine. Slender rocker arms play the 16 valves like an expert trumpeter, deactivating one intake valve below 2100rpm. This not only improves efficiency but improves low-end response, the theory being that the narrower passage (with only one valve closed) speeds up airflow.
The theory works. The Jazz responds smartly to a dab on the accelerator and feels quite perky at low speeds. Ambling in traffic is quite easy and part-throttle response is pretty good. However, Honda motors work best at high revs, where they almost seem more at home and the Jazz’s motor is no different. It gets a second wind past 5000rpm and races to its 6500rpm redline. Flat-out acceleration is pretty strong, considering the size of the motor. Zero to 100kph comes up in 13.2seconds with 120 taking a total of 18.6sec. This easily makes the Jazz the fastest of the 1.2 petrol brigade. This engineis also very refined. Idle is almost inaudible, the motor purrs at low engine speeds and it’s only when you are really pushing it to the maximum that it gets slightly louder.
If there is a flaw in this engine it’s the weak midrange. Peak torque is a decent 11.2kgm but it is developed at a high 4800rpm. It feels quite gutless below 4000rpm and you have to constantly downshift to avoid getting bogged down. Drivability is further hampered by the significant gap between second and third gear ratios. It’s just as well that the slick-shifting gearbox is an absolute delight to use.
JAZZ BALLET
On its raised suspension and weedy tyres, the Jazz doesn’t quite handle like a hot hatch and this is not a car you look forward to getting behind the wheel of on a twisting road. The stiff chassis and taut suspension give decent body control but the limitation is the low-rolling resistance Michelins, which give up grip quite easily. The steering feel is similar to the current City’s — not completely disconnected as before but still a touch too light to instill confidence at high speeds. Ride quality isn’t brilliant either.
The jacked-up and stiffened suspension copes well with smooth surfaces but it crashes over sharp ridges and potholes, which makes it pretty jarring for passengers. Also, the tyres drum up a fair amount of road noise on patchy surfaces and this is accentuated by the silent powertrain.
Dynamically, the Jazz is a far cry from the Fabia or Grande Punto which feel much more planted and secure at highway speeds and over rough surfaces. Pushing the Jazz to its limit isn’t always fun and you are much happier turning the pace a notch down. The Jazz is not a great highway car and it feels most comfortable at moderate speeds in urban surroundings where the light steering and nimble handling become strengths.
FIRST VERDICT
Available with only one engine option but in three variants, the Jazz’s pricing is stratospheric by hatchback standards. The base model nudges Rs 8.28 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) while the top-of-the-line Active model, which gets an assortment of sporty body mods and add-ons costs Rs 8.66 lakh. There is a decent level of equipment but not enough to justify the over-the-top price. To put it in perspective, a fully-loaded Skoda Fabia 1.2 costs Rs 1.6 lakh less. The Jazz’s price is closer to the City’s, which is also expensive by saloon-car standards.
But the Jazz offers more in some areas than its saloon sibling. The build quality is better, especially on the inside, and the rear seat is more comfy too. Plus, it offers practicality no saloon car can hope to match. Look at all the flexible luggage space and you know why Honda chose to call this car the Jazz — it can swallow a whole jazz band, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drum kit and possibly the double bass too.
No doubt, the Jazz is a brilliantly designed and engineered car. The 1.2 engine is adequate for city use and promises to be efficient. Like most Hondas, the Jazz should be super-reliable. As an overall package, it does the job better than any other hatchback in the market. It offers everything except value for money, especially for a hatch.
However, what you get is something unique, a classy, well-thought-out and engineered car built to global standards. You get that precise Honda fit and quality, the brilliant packaging, plenty of clever bits and the promise of great fuel economy and reliability. If you are looking for an entry saloon or pure driving pleasure, the Jazz is not the car for you. It’s a smarter, more stylish and better packaged alternative to a saloon but nonetheless an expensive one.

The amazingly powerful and long haul comfortable Suzuki Hayabusa is now presented as a 2010 model and gets stylish new color schemes to mark the pass. The black one with orange graphics is the most easily distinguishable, but riders end up in the Hayabusa’s seat because of the whole other bunch of advantages that come with a bike closely priced to the GSX-R 1000. Now addressing to those who can’t decide between the Gixxer and the Hayabusa-derived B-King, the future Hayabusa rider is just an easy target.

Introduction

A machine like this simply needs no presentation as the name says it all. It was the fastest production bike ever made before Kawasaki gave an answer to it in the form of the ZX-12R back in 2000 and it would still be that today if it wasn’t for the 186mph limitation that followed. Also, this is probably the most highly worked on and modified motorcycle ever as all the outrageous modification that passed through tuners minds would have first found their place on the Busa and then on smaller bikes.

In 2010, the Suzuki Hayabusa features the best power-to-weight ratio and presents itself as one of the sharpest looking motorcycles ever made after the 2008 redesign. Powered by the smooth-accelerating and fuel-injected 1,340cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine that started a revolution in its earliest form, it would seem that the drag track is the only place to exploit it, but the thing actually goes on legal roads and that’s where part of the fun actually begins. In order for that to happen smoothly, this model features the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, which is the adequate solution for different riding styles or conditions. Mated to a smooth six-speed transmission, that overwhelmingly powerful engine gets down to business in the GSX-R style.

The frame, swingarm and rear shock are all made of aluminum alloy for proper weight reduction while the inverted front forks are compression, rebound damping and spring preload adjustable in order to give the bike a versatile side too. On top of that, the standard steering damper is a must on the Hayabusa, but that can also be said about the radial mount front brake calipers and the 260mm rear disc. ABS is also available for extra safety.

Suzuki first introduced the Hayabusa or the GSX1300R, as it was initially called, in 1999 as a hyper sport motorcycle that dethroned the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird from the “fastest production motorcycle” position. It reached a top speed of 189.6mph and the secret behind it was a liquid-cooled 1,299cc inline-four engine that developed 156hp at 9,500rpm.

But Suzuki pretty much rested on its laurels later on and enjoyed the model’s success without significantly refining it. After 2000, the top speed was electronically limited to 186mph, but that didn’t stop the Japanese maker to heavily upgrade this highly successful model in 2007. This is when the public was first introduced to the mighty 1,340cc, four-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16 valve engine that now developed 194hp. The compression ratio was increased from 11.0:1 to 12.5:1 and the 44mm Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) throttle bodies were added. Also, the GSX-R series “donated” the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS).

Although Suzuki’s hyper sport motorcycle was redesigned in 2007, the latest and biggest design upgrade came on the 2008 model year. Aerodynamics improved and the bike looks sleeker. This model carried on to 2009 with the stylish Black/Gray, Gray/Silver and White Silver color combinations.

Competition

Back in the days when it was first introduced, the Suzuki Hayabusa would have competed with the previously mentioned Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird and later on with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R.

Now, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is Hayabusa’s fierce competitor. This bike is the result of some serious development in Kawasaki’s technological department and it is actually considered the fastest production bike at this moment. No wonder, after all, it does rely on 203 hp at 9,500 rpm. Similar to the Busa, the Ninja is powered by a 1,352cc four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve per cylinder, inline-four engine that is as well fed through a fuel injection system with 44mm throttle bodies. Even though Kawasaki did its homework with this model, the bike seems to get uglier and uglier with each year that passes, making the Hayabusa stand for refinement and good taste. The biggest Ninja has a 2010 MSRP of $13,999.

On another hand, the BMW K 1300 S is one of the latest introductions of the German maker and, definitely, one greater opponent than the K 1200 S from which the bike is derived. In fact, by producing 173 hp and 103 ft-lb at 8,250rpm, the S model from the entirely new K series is the fastest production Beemer ever made. This one is backed up by a 1,293 cc water-cooled, four-stroke, straight-four power unit with two camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The MSRP starts at $15,550, making this bike quite the alternative for the Suzi and Kawi as it meets European style with performance that would make any Japanese hyper sport proud.

Exterior

2010 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R

From the very beginning, the Suzuki Hayabusa was designed as a speed machine and that’s also the way it is presented today, only that a little more refined. Almost a brand of its own, the bike retains the centrally positioned headlight and signal lights that are close to the air intakes as well as its characteristic extremely low mounted screen. Suzuki designers had to position the gas tank well into the frame in order for the rider to have room to tuck into the fairing, but that was an issue solved from 1999 as the Hayabusa models are very similar in design.

Heavily tested in the wind tunnel, it actually gives the idea of being molded by the wind as it hurled down the freeway. The last big redesign of the fairing was in 2008 and that is when it became more aerodynamic and stylish, but, still, it retains the design lines of that first ever model. The four-into-two-into-one exhaust system definitely makes a difference, but, yet again, the matte black colored silencer comes from the present model year.

New for 2010 are the color schemes: Black with Orange graphics, Metallic Blue or Pearl White.

"If you’ve noticed a trend so far, it’s that the Hayabusa’s shining feature, its reason for being, is the 1,340cc inline-4 powerplant hidden under the curvy bodywork. Not that it doesn’t excel in other areas—it does, as a matter of fact, stop well, maintain a reasonable amount of grip and stability in turns, and offer lots of flexibility for a variety of riding scenarios." – motorcycles.about

“Accelerating off the corners with a quiet whoosh from the twin pipes like it had been shot out of a Howitzer, it feels like some sort of macabre video game flicking through some of Road America’s tighter sections. It starts making lots of power early, and by the time the needle is past five grand all hell is letting loose. It pulls without a break until the rev limiter kicks in with a bang somewhere around 11 grand.” – motorcycle

"Rocketing down Road America’s long front straight the Hayabusa buries the speedometer needle beyond its indicated 185 mph nomenclature at redline in fifth gear. From the secure confines of the cockpit, the concrete walls, fences, trees and brake-markers get really blurry about the time to get on the brakes for Turn 1" – motorcycle-usa

"The ’Busa isn’t designed for roadracing, but Road America was the perfect venue to allow exploration of the upper gears and their blinding acceleration. Equally important was the discovery that the new front end works much better than the earlier model." – superstreetbike

"As before, the ’Busa’s ergos are roomy and accommodating for the 6-foot-plus crowd. Engine vibration is subdued below 4500 rpm, but it seeps through the bars, tank and pegs once you exceed an indicated 85 mph in sixth gear. Wind protection has been improved with an 18mm-taller windscreen that results in a remarkably low amount of turbulence." – cycleworld

"Suzuki have played around with the GSX1300R Hayabusa’s styling without losing the original’s looks and character, as a result the new Suzuki Hayabusa looks really sleek. Engine capacity had increased and so has power and torque. Handling hasn’t been significantly improved, more a gentle step forward however the brakes are a miles better, and about time." – MCN

Price

The MSRP for the 2010 Hayabusa is yet to be announced, but considering last year’s $13,199 in USA and the current $16,299 starting price for a 2010 model in Canada, it should yet again stand out as the ZX-14’s biggest nightmare in matter of bang for the buck.

Conclusion

As you could notice by reading this article, Suzuki doesn’t momentarily need to upgrade their greatest ever motorcycle and obtain maximum benefits from it by only offering different paintjobs in order to set the different model years apart from one another. Yet, the Suzuki Hayabusa remains a sports bike with plenty to prove and an amazing platform for tuners to test their ideas on. Congratulations Suzuki for this motorcycle!